Botanical Surveys

What is a Botanical Survey?In the most basic sense, it is a physical catalog or inventory of the plants found on your property, along with pertinent information.

Why a Botanical Survey?Knowing the plants that live on the land with you can prove great knowledge to have for several reasons, practical or otherwise. If you intend to purchase land you may want to know what plants are present. If you already own land and want to do some landscaping, clear some forest, or other large project that causes massive disturbance it could benefit you and your land to know what plants should be relocated before beginning your work. If you have an interest in learning how to utilize plants as food, medicine, and more from your land, then you may like to have a detailed and physical inventory.

How it happensA Botanical Survey can manifest as many things depending on what the client (you) is seeking to know and what you desire to have documented. The basic premise is that I walk the property (without you this time, as I am working!) & catalog all plants that I encounter. In order to get a thorough survey it is optimal that I return several times over the course of a year, or at least once a season. In this way I am less likely to overlook plants that may not emerge in all their glory until summer or fall. Some plants also have a very small flowering window, and the flower is the most sure way to get a positive identification on a plant species. Still, on a large piece of property with many ecosystems & disturbed areas there are likely to be some plants that remain overlooked. I do not do a stake, flag, and tag session such as the Forest Service usually does. This is incredibly boring and will cost you too much money. I will wander the land, making sure to cover as much ground as I can, and make notes as I go. I am confident that 80% of total plant species will be successfully cataloged.

When we agree that this work feels complete I will put together a spreadsheet of the plants that have been positively identified as being present. This spreadsheet can hold much information, including: common and botanical names, location on the property, utilization, parts harvested, season of flowering, means of propagation, and so on. The information to be had on the spreadsheet will be decided by you, based on a conversation with me. After this spreadsheet is complete you will be given a copy and we will walk the property together. Plants that interest you the most will be visited and discussed first, if you like. We can go through the entire catalog or only those of high interest. Identification techniques, utilization and preparation, as well as other knowledge I have of the plant will be given. The Botanical Survey I offer is designed so that the experience itself and the depth of it is dependent on what you would like to know. The only part I see as my decision is the framework with which the task is accomplished. You should be as dedicated to the task as I am (perhaps more so), and you should have an earnest desire to learn from the plants. This is a long-term commitment.

CostThe fee for my time is $30/hour. There is an 8 hour minimum. I will drive within a 30 mile radius of home for no charge. Any miles over that I ask 75 cents a mile for vehicle maintenance. I am open to partial trade & barter. The spreadsheet will be done on my own time, a gift to you for supporting me in this work.